CedarStone Bank co-sponsored an event Sunday, January 7 with Andrew Jackson’s The Hermitage in hosting FOX News Personality Brian Kilmeade, co-author of "Andrew Jackson, and the Miracle of the Battle of New Orleans."

The meet and greet book signing was held at the Lebanon Main Office of CedarStone Bank. Kilmeade co-authored, "Andrew Jackson, and the Miracle of New Orleans", an Amazon number one best seller. The book is an indepth look at the Battle of New Orleans as Andrew Jackson convinces President Madison and his War Department of the importance of winning the battle against British forces.

Guests included friends, customers, shareholders of CedarStone Bank, local dignitaries and friends and patrons of The Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson. CedarStone Bank supports events as well as the vision of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and considers the mansion a special and unique historical site in the market the bank serves.

Brian Kilmeade (born May 7, 1964) is a Fox News television personality. Weekdays, he co-hosts Fox's morning show, "Fox & Friends", along with Steve Doocy and Ainsley Earhardt. He has written several fiction and nonfiction books, and hosts the Fox News Radio program Kilmeade and Friends. (More information available at briankilmeade.com)

CedarStone Bank was founded in early 2003 as a diverse group of local business leaders came together to form a community bank that would be known for returning the simple basics of banking to the customers it would serve. The bank officially opened in April 2004 and currently offers full service banking with offices located in Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Donelson. Bob McDonald serves as President and C.E.O. of the bank as well as Vice-Regent on the Andrew Jackson Foundation Board of Trust.

CedarStone Bank plans on the bank closing this coming Monday for one hour so that employees and customers may enjoy the upcoming solar eclipse.

“We will lock our doors from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in preparation for the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21,” explained John B. Bryan, CedarStone Bank VP and Director of Marketing.

The bank has a limited supply of eclipse eyewear and official “CedarStone Bank Eclipse” tee-shirts available for customers. The souvenir items will be available to bank customers on a first come, first served basis.

“We thought it would be a neat idea to give our customers a memento of the total solar eclipse. These things don’t happen very often and we believe our customers and employees will enjoy this brief moment in history,” Bryan added.

Bank operations will resume immediately at 2 p.m. and will close at regular business hours on that day.

Photo Caption (above) - A number of Wilson County residents attended President Donald J. Trump’s visit to historic Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage, last Wednesday. Those pictured are from left, Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto and wife Paula, State Rep. Susan Lynn, Andrew Jackson, VI, General Sessions Judge, Knox County (great-great- great-grandson of Pres. Andrew Jackson) and his wife, Janet, State Rep. Mark Pody, Susan McDonald and her husband Bob McDonald, CedarStone Bank President and Vice-Regent of the Board of Trust of the Andrew Jackson Foundation.

Upon his arrival to Nashville last week one of President Donald J. Trump’s first stops was at President Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage. Some 400 invitees and friends and supporters of the Hermitage were on hand as the President paid respect to Jackson’s grave site and toured the mansion of the 7th President of the United States.

A number of Wilson County residents attended the event as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of Jackson’s birth (March 15, 1767). The Hermitage will be hosting several events throughout 2017 as they celebrate this momentous occasion. Those attending from Wilson County included Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto and wife Paula, State Rep. Susan Lynn, State Rep. Mark Pody, CedarStone Bank President Bob McDonald and his wife Susan. McDonald also serves as Vice-Regent of the Board of Trust of the Andrew Jackson Foundation.

The Tennessee General Assembly has for many years been a very important and special supporter of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. Over the course of many years legislation has been passed that resulted in the Hermitage receiving financial support from the state for important maintenance issues of the historic mansion.

“The Andrew Jackson foundation has been the beneficially for many years of financial support of the Tennessee General assembly and our local delegation made of Mark Pody, Mae Beavers and Susan Lynn have played a key role in that support as they have embraced this effort in the ongoing preservation of this historic landmark,” commented McDonald on behalf of the Board of Trust of the Andrew Jackson Foundation.

Also in attendance were Andrew Jackson, VI and his wife Janet. Jackson is the great-great-great grandson of President Jackson and serves a General Sessions Judge in Knox County, Tennessee. Judge Jackson and his family are also great supporters of the Hermitage and are very proud of their heritage. They regularly attend many activities and events at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage.

CedarStone Bank customers will be excited to learn that our new “chip” debit cards will be mailed out on February 14, 2017.

“Customers will need to activate their new card by March 27, 2017. Instructions will be included in the envelope with the new debit card,” explained Kristin Howard, AVP, BSA/Deposit Services Manager.

It’s important to note the card number and pin number for your debit card will not change. A direct mail piece will be mailed out the week before the card arrives as a gentle reminder of what is to follow.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call your local CedarStone Bank office or as always, call the main office at (615)443-1411.

Congressman Phil Roe (Johnson City) was the keynote speaker Sunday, Jan. 8 as Andrew Jackson's Hermitage celebrated the 202nd anniversary of "The Battle of New Orleans." The Andrew Jackson Foundation hosted the annual gathering as part of a day-long remembrance of "The Battle of New Orleans", the last major engagement of The War of 1812.

From left above: Howard Kittell, President & CEO of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, United States Congressman Phil Roe, Susan and Bob McDonald. McDonald serves as Vice-Regent of the Andrew Jackson Foundation.

CedarStone Bank continues its long tradition of supporting McGavock High School by sponsoring the “McGavock Student of the Month”. The student of the month for January is McGavock junior, Takeya Johns. Presenting Takeya with her certificate is the CedarStone Bank Donelson office staff, (from left) Robert L. McDonald, Asst. VP/Relationship Mgr., Willie McDonald, Business Development Officer, Takeya,. Mallory Baker, Customer Service Representative, Noel Steele, Teller and Troy Putman, Donelson Office Manager. CedarStone Bank is the official bank for McGavock High School and enjoys a relationship dating back some 45 years with Donelson banking legend Willie McDonald.

CedarStone Bank is proud to salute T. A. Bryan, Peggy Zide and Cedarcroft Home, Inc., a state licensed facility dedicated to the care and welfare of the mentally handicapped, disadvantaged and homeless men.

Mr. Bryan is no stranger to the Lebanon community. A long-time insurance agent for Transamerica Life and Ohio National, Mr. Bryan has been involved in many different charitable causes and civic events over the years.

I met Mr. Bryan over 20 years ago and he has always been a gentlemen to me and my family. That gentle kindness spills over into the mission of Cedarcroft. We see it most everyday with the operation of that facility and the outreach of support it gains from the community it serves.

Mr. Bryan, the founder & Chairman of the Board of Cedarcroft Home, Inc., describes the home as "a supportive living facility for men who otherwise might not have a place to stay”.

Established in 1974 and licensed in 1996 with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Retardation, Cedarcroft strives to meet all state and local regulations to provide the safest environment for its residents.

The local non-profit facility offers room and board with three nutritious meals a day plus evening snacks. Residents receive indirect supervision of medication, medical service referrals and transportation, laundry services, activity opportunities and much more!

The facility is housed mainly in a 119-year-old building, the former Martha Gaston Hospital, as well as an adjacent building that formerly served Lebanon as a nursing home.

Peggy Zide serves as Chief Operating Officer for the company and has been employed by Cedarcroft for over 11 years. The company is set up as a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation and is governed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of Bryan, sons Tommy and John, Dr. Larry Locke, James L. White and Troy Putman. The company currently employees 35 employees.

Hats off to T. A. Bryan and the staff at Cedarcroft Home. Their contribution to our community cannot be measured and I dearly appreciate their effort to meet the needs of these men in Lebanon.

Thank you for being a CedarStone Bank mobile deposit user. We appreciate you being one of the first to use our new mobile deposit banking feature.

For your protection, please remember to endorse checks with your Signature and the phrase “CSB Mobile Deposit.” Beginning June 1, 2016, any checks not endorsed properly will not be deposited. These rejected deposits cannot be resubmitted through mobile banking and will need to be deposited at one of our offices.

We appreciate your business and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Each month CedarStone Bank “simply salutes” an influential leader in Middle Tennessee. This month the bank is proud to recognize The Hermitage.

The Hermitage is a historical plantation, museum, and garden located in Davidson County, Tennessee, 10 miles east of downtown Nashville. The plantation was owned by Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, from 1804 until his death at the Hermitage in 1845.

The original structure of The Hermitage mansion was a brick, Federal-style house constructed between 1819 and 1821 by skilled carpenters and masons from the local area. Though this design was typical of plantation dwellings for aspiring gentlemen farmers in the Upper South it was already beginning to lose favor in more fashionable Eastern areas.

Today, the site covers 1,120 acres, which includes the original 1,050-acre tract of Jackson's plantation. It is overseen and managed by The Andrew Jackson Foundation, formerly called the Ladies' Hermitage Association. Howard J. Kittell, who has a long and distinguished career in historic preservation, has served as President and CEO of The Hermitage and the Andrew Jackson Foundation since 2008.

The Hermitage is your local treasure; a house so unique it has been named a National Historic Landmark. It is a beautiful place near home to stroll under the shade of its leafy trees, view collections and exhibitions that bring the past to life, and attend many educational programs and events. The Hermitage is a special resource that helps define our idea of who we are as Middle Tennesseans.

CedarStone Bank salutes The Hermitage, The Andrew Jackson Foundation, and its dedicated staff in their efforts to preserve the history of Middle Tennessee!

Each month CedarStone Bank “simply salutes” an influential leader in Middle Tennessee. This month the bank is proud to recognize Two Rivers Mansion.

Two Rivers Mansion is one of the last of the elaborate antebellum country homes built in the Nashville area and one of the earliest and best preserved of the ornate Italianate houses in Middle Tennessee. Two Rivers was once part of an 1,100-acre plantation located on fertile, rolling land between the Stones and Cumberland Rivers. The junction of the two rivers suggested the name given to the property by its first owner, William Harding, whose family built the Belle Meade Plantation in west Nashville.

After acquiring the 447-acre property in 1966, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County set aside the 14-acre historic site, developing two schools, a golf course, park greenway, water park (Wave Country), skate park, frisbee golf course and picnic area for families to enjoy. Restored to the stately architectural splendor of the mansion’s early days, Two Rivers reflects the taste, textures and colors of the post-war era and today remains a centerpiece for all kinds of social gatherings – weddings, parties, anniversaries, birthdays and special events for future generations to enjoy.

CedarStone Bank salutes Two Rivers Mansion and its dedicated staff in their effort to make Middle Tennessee an even better place to live and work!

Each month CedarStone Bank “simply salutes” an influential leader in Wilson County. This month the bank is proud to recognize the Wilson County Community Help Center.

The Wilson County Community Help Center was formed in 1988 when three local charities came together and united as one. Project Help, Golden Harvest Food Bank and the Faith Rescue Mission had helped those in need in Lebanon and Wilson County since the mid-1960s. The Wilson County Community Help Center was a product of that merger and was first under the direction of Executive Director Dot Maxey. The objective of the Help Center is to provide food, clothing, household necessities and financial assistance for utilities; fuel to out of county doctor medical appointments; and prescription drugs for individuals, elderly and cancer patients in need in our community.

Mrs. Maxey’s original board consisted of several notable “givers” in the Lebanon community including Houston Turner, Will Allen Carpenter, Joanne Smith, Cassie Hallum, Pete Williams, Ronnie Kelly, Bob Werckle, Larry Tomlinson, Ed Blackburn, Mary Jo Cote, Sydney Berry, Wiley T. Bernard, Bobby Johnson, Fred Singleton, Marty Young, Andy Brummitt, Mike Jennings, Claudine Bissinger, Jean Reasonover and Lynn Nokes. Ronnie Doak and Gail Proctor operated the program after her retirement and now Ben Spicer is currently serving his third year as Executive Director. In 2015, the Help Center distributed more than 65,000 pounds of food to feed the hungry in Wilson County and provided more than 40,000 articles of free clothing to those in need.

CedarStone Bank salutes the Wilson County Community Help Center and its staff of workers, volunteers and current board members in their effort to make Wilson County an even better place to live and work!

McGavock High School's Lucia Del Zotto has been recognized as student of the month for January 2016. Lucia was selected by her teachers and peers for exemplifying the characteristics of a good student and the drive to learn. Lucia attended the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce luncheon with CedarStone Bank President - CEO Bob McDonald, AVP Robert L. McDonald, and Willie McDonald.

Lebanon, Tenn. (January 25, 2016) –Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage recently held a celebration event commemorating the 201st anniversary of The Battle of New Orleans.

Thousands of guests visited Jackson’s home to honor the pivotal victory for the United States in the War of 1812, led by General Jackson and his troops. The Hermitage home tour was open free to the public and there was a ceremony featuring the National Guard laying a wreath at Jackson’s tomb.

CedarStone Bank President and CEO Bob McDonald participated in the event. McDonald is a member of the Board of Trustees for The Andrew Jackson Foundation.

“The Hermitage is a national treasure and we’re fortunate to have such an historic landmark so close to home,” McDonald said. “This annual event is a welcome opportunity to gather with friends and family to celebrate the rich tradition of General Jackson and his roots in Middle Tennessee.”

The wreath ceremony included remarks from retired Lieutenant General John M. Pickler, who served 36 years in the Army, eventually assuming the role of Chief of Staff of the United States Army Forces Command. Pickler currently resides in Lebanon.

“It was fascinating to hear a recent military leader like General Pickler discuss the life and times of one of our most famous military leaders in Andrew Jackson,” McDonald said. “Both men sacrificed so much for this great country through their military service.”

Each month CedarStone Bank “simply salutes” an influential leader in Wilson County. This month the bank is proud to recognize Dr. Paul Stumb, President of Cumberland University.

Dr. Stumb is no stranger to Middle Tennessee and Lebanon in particular. He began his tenure at the University in 2003 as an Adjunct Professor and then later served as Dean of the Labry School, a position he has held continuously until being named President of the University in August of 2015.

Dr. Stumb has hit the ground running as President, relying on his past business experience and people skills in making a smooth and seamless transition into his new role.

A Nashville native, Dr. Stumb is a graduate of the Navy War College Strategy and Policy Course, and holds a BS from Auburn University, an MS from the University of Tennessee, a Master’s in Education from Cumberland and a PhD from the University of Tennessee. Prior to joining Cumberland, Dr. Stumb enjoyed a successful career in the business sector, serving as Director of Marketing and Business Development and later as General Manager of American Corrugated, in the Containerboard & Packaging Division of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, and Vice President for Operations/Executive Committee Member and Owner of One Coast Network, Inc., a gift and home decor marketing firm in Atlanta.

He and his wife, Christy, reside in Lebanon, just a block from the campus. They have four children and two grandchildren.

Cumberland University is a civic jewel for Lebanon and Wilson County. Founded in 1842, Cumberland offers a variety of educational, athletic and social experiences to enhance the learning opportunities of the current student body. The University serves nearly 1,500 students. Its exceptional academic program is steeped in the liberal arts and its athletic teams regularly compete for conference and national championships.

Cumberland’s alumni includes former U.S. Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, who also was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945; James Lafayette Bomar, president of Rotary International; Thomas P. Gore, United States senator; more than 80 congressmen, including Albert Gore, Sr.; two justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, Howell Edmunds Jackson and Horace Harmon Lurton; 13 governors, including Frank G. Clement; three ambassadors, including Edward Albright, U.S. Ambassador to Finland; scores of local, state and federal judges, including Charles Dickson Clark; and 50 college/university professors, including the “Father of Political Science,” John Burgess.

While Cumberland has a distinguished past, the University is focused on the future, and on educating our next generation of leaders.

CedarStone Bank is proud of Cumberland University and the school’s leadership. We salute Dr. Paul Stumb and his efforts to lead Cumberland for years to come!

Our last day at the current branch (2900 Donelson Pike) will be Friday, August 7. The branch will be closed on Saturday, August 8, and then we will be open for business at the new branch on Monday, August 10.

The new hours for the branch will be:

Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Friday: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Donelson branch will have multiple drive-thru lanes featuring the new Smart ATM with these great capabilities:

Make Deposits Anytime

Save time – no filling out deposit slips

Environmentally friendly – avoids wasting paper

Cash deposits available immediately*

Get cash up to the amount available to you at the ATM

Here’s how to make a deposit:

Insert your ATM card and use your PIN

Verify the deposit on the screen

Finalize the transaction

This branch will also feature an enclosed night drop.

For more information on our new Donelson branch please call 615-874-1444.

*1 - Availability of funds governed by account agreement. 2 - Check cashing services may not be available for some checks. 3 - Maximum amount that you may receive for a check cashed at a CedarStoneSmart ATM is determined by various factors, including any cash limits imposed by the ATM or your card, and the amount and types of currency in the ATM at the time of transaction.

Congrats to Kali Meyer Holder, 7th grade math teacher at Walter J. Baird Middle School for being selected as the 2014-15 Wilson County Teacher of the Year. CedarStone Bank employees gathered to congratulate her soon after the award presentation Friday night at Cumberland University.

Do you need an internship? Do you want to potentially find your perfect internship in five minutes or less AND not have to move away from home? Then you MUST attend the upcoming Collegiate Connections Speed Networking Internship Event held at Cumberland University's Baird Chapel on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 hosted by the Leadership Wilson Class of 2015 and sponsored by Cumberland University.

You will speed network with a variety of Wilson County businesses who are currently seeking a summer or fall intern. There will be for-profit businesses seeking paid internships and some non-profits offering unpaid internships.

There will be additional traditional networking time before and after the "main event." Lunch will be generously provided for free by Cumberland University, and the event is free of charge for both college students and business participants.

We will send you a “Know Before You Go” prior to the event to help you prepare and put your best foot forward. In the mean time, here is the tentative event timeline:

You are eligible if you attend college in Wilson County or are a Wilson County resident currently enrolled in any college or university (no matter the location) for your sophomore, junior or senior year.

Register Now

Register today to reserve your spot. You do not want to miss out on this amazing and exclusive access to Wilson County's top internship providers! Don't forget the deadline is Monday, April 13th and RSVPs are REQUIRED! Get an internship FAST!

Recently Justin Duncan, senior at McGavock High School completed over 40 hours with CedarStone Bank in the Capstone Experience program. Justin has been involved in the program at the Donelson Branch since October 2014. A Capstone experience is a project that allows students to learn about themselves by moving an idea or dream toward a topic of interest, specialization, community need, or career choice.

The entire Donelson Branch congratulated McGavock senior Justin Duncan recently on his completion of the Capstone Experience program at CedarStone Bank. Pictured from left to right is Willie McDonald, Naaman Stillwell, Marilyn Kaczmarski, Kati Barbeau, Justin Duncan, Lisa Brown, Layla Hejazi and Robert McDonald.

CedarStone Bank has an entry-level opening for a Teller/Social Media Coordinator in our Mt. Juliet office. This is a great opportunity for someone ready to learn banking and to utilize your social media skills in a professional setting. If interested, please contact Beth Schulze, Mt. Juliet Branch Manager.

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